Machali (tigress)

Common card · No. 339254

Machali (Hindi for 'fish'; code name: T-16), also known as Machli or Machhli, was a Bengal tigress who lived in Ranthambore National Park in India. She was born in the spring of 1997, and died on 18 August 2016. Machali played a key role in the regeneration of the tiger population in the park in the early 2000s, and was celebrated with titles such as Queen Mother of Tigers, Tigress Queen of Ranthambore, Lady of the Lakes, and Crocodile Killer. She was considered India's most famous tigress and, before her death, the oldest living in the wild. India earned about US$10 million per year due to tourists attracted to Machali. She won the "Lifetime Achievement Award" of Travel Operators For Tigers due to her contribution to conservation and as a tourist attraction that earned significant income for India.

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